SPORTS

In a career-defining performance, Ajinkya Rahane slipped effortlessly into the big shoes of Virat Kohli, both at the No 4 batting spot and as captain, helping India script history in Australia by retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The performance of the Indian team will go down as one of the glorious tales of world cricket, with Rahane’s men being spoken about in the same breath as the great entertainers from the West Indies, Frank Worrell’s team of 1960-61. Like Worrell’s men, they took Australia by storm with their daring brand of cricket; playing with both grit and flair, playing both hard and fair.

The reserved and soft-spoken Rahane led the team aggressively and astutely: “It was a challenge as well as a responsibility, and I thought it was the best opportunity for me to stand up, send that message, he said.

On the recent historical win against Australia, he says, It feels really good. It has just started to sink in that what we did in Australia was really special. I am really proud of each and every member of the team. It's not about any individual, it’s a team effort. Everyone played their part pretty well. Credit to every member of the team for this victory.

Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene believes England are "very well prepared" and can pose a challenge against a tough Indian side after a comprehensive series win over Sri Lanka. Jayawardene said that having the likes of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and spin duo of Dom Bess and Jack Leach will boost England's chances vs India.

England defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets at the Galle International Stadium to complete a clean sweep over the hosts in the 2-match Test series but face a much more daunting task in India, where the first Test in Chennai begins on February 5.

"I think that’s going to be a very exciting series and a very good challenge for this group of players. That’s what cricket is all about. You need to go away and win the Test series," Jayawardene told Sky Sports.

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday announced the appointment of former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara as the director of cricket for the upcoming season.

Sangakkara, who is the current president of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), will now be responsible for overseeing the entire cricketing ecosystem of the Royals including coaching structure, auction plans and team strategy, talent discovery and development. He will as well see the development of the Royals Academy in Nagpur, the franchise said in a statement.

"It's a privilege to be joining the Rajasthan Royals and I am excited about the new challenge. To oversee the cricket strategy of a franchise in the leading cricket competition in the world, as well as building the development programs and cricketing infrastructure that will provide the future foundation of the IPL team's on-field success, is an opportunity that really motivated me," Sangakkara said while commenting on his appointment.

Primer Minister Narendra Modi heaped praise on Indian cricket team for registering a historic Test series win over Australia. An inexperienced Team India defied all odds to beat a powerful Australian side Down Under.

PM Modi, during the 18th Convocation of Tezpur University, Assam via video conferencing, talked about the challenges Team India faced after the Adelaide defeat and the injury crises yet they overpowered a stronger Australian team with their talent and temperament.

"Indian team faced a lot of challenges in the recent tour of Australia. They suffered crushing defeat yet recovered equally fast and won the next match. The players showed determination despite injuries. They took the challenge head-on and looked for fresh solutions instead of getting frustrated by difficult conditions," Modi said.

England Cricket on Thursday has announced 16-member squad and six travelling reserves for the first and second Test matches against India.

Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes who were rested for the Sri Lanka series, return to the squad. With Archer and Stokes returning, Craig Overton will return home after the Sri Lanka series. 

Rory Burns, who was at home for the birth of his first child is also added to the list. Ollie Pope will be travelling to India and will be added to the squad if passed the fitness test. Pope is currently recovering from a shoulder injury which he had sustained in September during the Test series against Pakistan. 

Jonathan Bairstow, Sam Curran and Mark Wood have been rested and the three players, who are currently in Sri Lanka, will miss the first and second Tests in India.